Rocking-chair.



1. B. WULLO.`

ROCKING CHAIR.

APPLICATIUN FILED OCT. H, 1916. l gllfl D l Patentedsept.' 25, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

una

J. B. VITULL. ROCKING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED ocT. II. Isle.

1 ,241 l 7 1 v A Patented Sept. 25, 191?.

s'HEETvs-SHEET 2.

JOI-IN B. VI'IULLO, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOOKING-CHAIR.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, 1917.

Application filed October 11, 1916. Serial No. 124,925.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOI-IN B. VITULLO, a subject of the King of Italy, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rocking-Chairs, of which the following is declared to be a full, clear, and exact description This inventionrrelates to rocking chairs and its primary object is to provide automatic, mechanical means for rocking achair and under the control of the person in the chair or another person. Another object is to provide mechanical chair rocking means, operated by an electric motor contained in the base of the chair. Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of this specification and with said objects and advantages in view this invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

The invention is clearly il-lustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a view of the chair, partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section; Fig. 2 is a similar view but showing the seat and seat extension in a different position; Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4L is a plan with the seat and seat extensionremoved, Fig.V 5 is a detail horizontal section of certain speed reducing gearing between the motor and seat rocking member, the line of section being indicated at 5-i5 in Fig. 3, and Fig. 6 is a side elevation ofV another form of speed reducing gearing.

Referring to said drawings, which illustrate one embodiment of the invention, 10, designates the base of the chair, which base may comprise a rectangular frame formed of lengthwise and crosswiseextending-frame members, 11, 12, and abot-tom member 13, secured together in any desired manner to provide a strong box-like base. Conveniently the base 10, may be provided with casters 14, to facilitate moving the chair about.

Above the base 10, is the seat portion 15, which may have a chair back 16, and arms 16a as usual, and said parts may be upholstered as desired. The seat portion has a rectangular frame 17, in which are located the springs 1S, and covering therefor, made in accordance with any of the well known spring seats for chairs and other furniture. Extending down from the side members 19 of said frame 17, are rockers 20, having arc shaped bearing edges on their lower sides which resty upon and rock upon the upper edges of the side members 11, of the base. Conveniently leather strips 21, 22, may be secured to the bearing edges of the rockers and upper edges of the side members to eliminate squeaking when the chair is in use. At the middle'portion of each rocker 20, on the inner vface thereof is secured a spring holder 23, and below said holders 23, are similar but inverted holders 24, that are secured to the side members of the base, and secured to and extending between said holders of each pair isa coiled tension spring 25, which serves to bring the seat portion back to a position paralleling the base whenever it is rocked forward or backward from such position. This spring connection between the rocking seat portion and base is one common and well known to those skilled in this art. Two side pieces 11a, are secured to the side members 11, and extend up along side the seat.

Hinged to the forward edge of the seat 15, is a seat extension or leg and foot rest 26, which lies approximately parallel with the base. One of the hinges is seen at 27. Said seat extension may be provided with springs 28a, and upholstered in accordance with the common practice in this art. Conveniently an upholstered cushion a, may be placed upon the seat and seat extension for the comfort and convenience of the person reclining in the chair.

rIhe forward end 0f the seat extension is supported by two rocking, supporting members 28, pivotally connected at their lower ends to the side members 11, of the base, and pivotally connected at their upper ends to the side members of the seat extension 26.

It will be noted that the upper end of thel the members 2,8 are when in the normal position shown in Fig. 1 inclined forwardly toward the front or outer end of the box structure, whereby when the seat is rocked said member 28 `swings upward and rearward so that said extension is raised bodily and maintained in proper relative position with. the seat when said seat is rocked. Preferably brackets 29 are secured to 'the inner faces of the side frame members of the base and the supporting members 28, are held between the brackets and side members, and bolts or pivot pins 30, --extending' thro-ugh the side members, supporting members and brackets are employed for pivotall'y coniecting the supporting members 28, to the ase;

The mechanism for rocking. the seat portion and therewith oscillating and reciprocating the seat extension will' now 'be described.. Supported. in the base 10, is a motor, A-for example asmall-electric motor whichhas a. small beltpulley 47, Vsecuredon its shaft. The motor is preferably covered by a-1netalbox-like cover 32, secured to the base l0. lLocated near-one end of the seat portion 15,'.is gear inclosingbox or case 33, which. is. secured to the base, andi ournaled in bearings in. said box 33,A is a vshaft 34, whiohucarrieson its-outer end a belt vpulley 35,015 larger diameter than. the. belt pulley 47.,.trained anound said! pulleys; 47., 35,.isA a belt. 36.. A. ,pinion v34K, issecuredupon the shaft 34,` inside 'of the gear case, which pinion isone-of a tnainv'oi' speedjneducing gearsbetween 'the shaft 34 anda crank shaft 3,8, which isjournaledI in a bearing. in said gear case and inl a. post 39, securedvtothe base.. .Sai-d; trainioi: gearsmay comprise the pinion 37,. a .vg-.ear wheel, 40, meshing there'- x'vith-and fastenedvon af sha-ft 41, r.journaled ingbiearings-inthe gearcase, v'a pinion 42., on said shaft 4l,and a. gear wheel4 43 tast` on the crank: sha'ft 38. Fig.. 6 :shows the speed reducing gears 37a, .404., 42, 43a on horizon# tal shafts 34a, 4512-383,l the pulley 35L being fast. on shaft 34a, and the crank armi 44?, fastwonshaftx 38a. @n the'crank shazft v38v between'rthepost and gear boxisv a crank Yarm to which is pivctally secured one end of a linkfor connectingfrod 45, the otherend lofwhich. ispivotally connected with an end ot thefseat portion-T15.x Preferably the-pants are so positioned as tolocate` tfherlin'k 45, midway between sides off the seat portion. A cross piece 46;.issecured Vto theupper edges ofthe side members 11, lofl the base-.z

, `@Irons of thearmsl'q, ofi theseat por-` tion; is secured ani electric switch 48,.`i`rom which run electric conductorv wires 49, that connect. the motor with a. socket 50, secured inthefbase 10. Electric'oonnectioni with the service or house wiresmay :be made by the usual plug and flexible conductor cords in the usual and common practice.

In operation, -a person seats himself on `the seat or reclines on the seat and seat eX- ten'sion. When he wishes to be rocked, he presses the proper button of the electric sw'itchto close the circuit, thereupon 'starting-the motor... Power is transferred to the crank shaft, and the speed thereof is greatly reduced--say to twenty revolutions per minute, or thereabout;`I rotation. of the crank is` transferred'y intoL reciprocatory movements of the link andthe seat portion isv thereby caused torock upon they base. rlhe. sea-t extension by reason -'et its hinged connectionl with theseat, vand its connection with the base through the instrumentality oithe supporting members is given a irotary, re'ciprocatory movement. Toistojp the rock-ingl lmechanism Vthe pro-per push button isl .pressedl thereby lbreaking the circuit. to the motor.

Mone or. less variation of the exact def tailsof construction isA possible, without departing from lthe spirit of: this invention; l desire, therefore,l notk to lim-it myselt to the exact forniof" the` invention showiny and described, but intend,in the followingclaims to2 point out all.` of: the inventiondisclosed herein. j

I claim as-fnew and? desire to secu-ne by Letters Eatent:

In a .rocking chair thefcombinationl with an elongated box like structure, of a seat rockingly mountedon the rear portion `of said structure, av leg rest extensiony havinga hinge connection kat its rear. end with the sai'df sea-t and its front end' lfree to move up and down, a' supporti-ng link pivotally se-v the seat is `in normalposition, whereby when l the seat: `is rockedfthe supporting links-swing upward and rearward.

' Jenn eyrrunno.

Confiesofthis patente-may ibe-obtavinedffor. vefceints eeen,v addressing-.fthe Cxjmfmssioner .of Batenrw.

Washington, D. C. 

